1969 Aston Martin DB6

The DB6 was launched in 1965 and was the culmination of a line that had been introduced in 1958 with the DB4. General manager John Wyer had tasked Touring of Milan with the styling of the DB4, while the platform chassis was the work of Aston martin's chief engineer Harold Beach. The new twin overhead camshaft engine had been conceived by his colleague, Tadek Marek, and race-tested in the DBR2 before its production debut in the DB4.

The DB5's introduced in 1963 brought a larger capacity engine and this power unit was carried over the DB6. Power output on triple SU carburetors was 282bhp, increasing to 325bhp in Vantage specification with the help of triple Weber carburetors. The standard ZF five-speed manual gearbox was offered alongside the optional Borg-Warner automatic, and for the first time, power-assisted steering was an option.

The DB6 Vantage could race from zero-to-sixty mph in 14.5 seconds and had a top speed of nearly 150 mph.

The wheelbase of the DB6 was longer than that of the DB5, allowing more room for rear passengers. It had a slightly higher roofline than the DB4 and DB5 and featured an aerodynamically efficient abbreviated 'Kamm' tail. Bodystyles included both a saloon and a DB6 Volante convertible. The Volante offered four-seat accommodation and was generously appointed with leather upholstery, deep-pile carpets, and an electrically operated hood. The first 37 Volantes were built on the shorter wheelbase chassis of the outgoing DB5.

In the summer of 1969, the Mark 2 DB6 was announced in saloon and convertible versions. They had flared wheel arches, DBS wheels, and power-assisted steering as standard and could be ordered with AE Brico electronic fuel injection. It had the same sheet steel platform chassis as its immediate predecessor with all-round coil-sprung suspension with the rear comprised of trailing arms, beam axle, and Armstrong Select-a-ride adjustable rear shock absorbers. The front was independent with double wishbones. Disc brakes were at all four corners.

By the time DB6 production came to a close in 1970, a total of 1,575 saloons had been made, plus 178 of the long-wheelbase Volante convertibles. 239 were DB6 MK2 saloons. These were rather impressive figures considering the DB6 had been produced during a difficult time for Aston Martin, with the US market subject to restrictive legislation and the British economy in a parlous state. Although they wore 'Superlegeera' badges, the DB6 had abandoned the underlying Superleggera body structure of its predecessors in favor of a conventional steel fabrication while retaining the aluminum outer panels. The additional rear passenger room transformed the DB6 into more of a family man's car and helped it sell in higher quantities than the earlier models in the series. The rakishly elegant DB6 MK2 was sharper and more responsive to drive due to wider wheels and fatter tyres, thus the need for its flared wheel arches.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2019